The first internal combustion engine with a plurality of hemispherical combustion chambers appeared on the market in 1951. Since then, the internal combustion engines with a plurality of hemispherical combustion chambers have been used extensively in the custom car field, being modified and swapped into countless custom vehicles, and in racing form, achieving dominance in several forms of motor racing.
The current version, third generation, internal combustion engine with a plurality of hemispherical combustion chambers is first appeared on the market in year 2003, in the 5.7 liter version. Since that time, 6.1 liter and 6.4 liter internal combustion engines with a plurality of hemispherical combustion chambers have been produced. The fuel delivery and spark delivery systems on the current version of the internal combustion engines with a plurality of hemispherical combustion chambers, like all current automotive engines, is controlled by a dedicated purpose computer, known as an engine control unit, or ECU.
The current version of the internal combustion engines with a plurality of hemispherical combustion chambers (2003 and newer), although it incorporates new and advanced engine technology, have not become popular in the custom automobile field, largely due to the difficulties in adapting the existing ECU to other applications, more specifically in regard to the difficulties encountered in reprogramming the existing ECU to correctly manage the engine after any performance-improving engine modifications have been made.
In contrast, other engines have seen wide acceptance and usage in that field, due in part to the ease with which original ECU can be adapted and reprogrammed. In addition, the other engine's control technology is substantially advanced over the technology of the internal combustion engine with a plurality of hemispherical combustion chambers. The other engine technology is based on the measurement of the instantaneous mass flow rate of the air being ingested for combustion, whereas the internal combustion engine with a plurality of hemispherical combustion chambers uses measured air density and throttle position to make a guess at the mass airflow rate.
The latent demand for the different uses of the internal combustion engine with a plurality of hemispherical combustion chambers for swaps and customized vehicles is apparent. Thus, an impediment to such usage created by the difficulties with the existing ECU.
Further, if a custom car builder wants to use the internal combustion engines with a plurality of hemispherical combustion chambers with a current-technology electronically-controlled transmission, the builder has only one option, which is to retain the compatible transmission and ECU, which limit the custom car builder to a completely un-modifiable engine package.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to introduce a methodology and hardware system which enables a user to replace the existing ECU and associated components of the internal combustion engines with a plurality of hemispherical combustion chambers with a separate ECU, supporting hardware and electronics, allowing comprehensive performance improvements to the internal combustion engines with a plurality of hemispherical combustion chambers, while retaining all the immense drivability.